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wp.org search vs our merit ranking: “chair”

wp.org orders by popularity, so a plugin a host bundled onto millions of sites, or a big-brand one that's slow and mediocre, can sit at the top. Our ranking is built to answer a different question: which of these is actually worth installing. How this works →

For “chair”, we agree with wp.org on the top plugin, and our order differs from theirs on 5 of the top 20.

wp.org search ranks on

Install count (uncapped), the raw star average, freshness, and support. Popularity dominates, so the biggest install base usually wins regardless of how it got there.

We add

A cap on the install boost, volume-weighted ratings, and signals wp.org can't see: whether the install base is organic or host-pushed, and its risk of being pulled.

Ranked above its merit

Events Calendar by FooEvents shows at wp.org #6 but places #11 on merit, a gap of 5 places. Its 4K+ installs carry it up the search order; its 3.0★ average from 2 reviews, plus freshness and upkeep, place it lower on our volume-weighted scale.

merit plugin wp.org
1 3D FlipBook – PDF Embedder, PDF Flipbook Viewer, Flipbook Image Gallery 70K+ · 4.8★ (182) wp.org #1 2 eCommerce Product Catalog 7K+ · 4.7★ (270) wp.org #4 ↓1 2 too low 3 ReDi Restaurant Reservation – Instant Restaurant Booking & Table Reservation System 700+ · 4.5★ (28) wp.org #3 ↑1 4 GovernDocs Document Management – Agenda, Minutes, Meetings, Reports & more 100+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #2 2 too high 5 PT Project Notebooks 10+ · 5.0★ (3) wp.org #9 ↓1 4 too low 6 3D Viewer – 3D Model Viewer – Augmented Reality – Virtual Try On 10+ · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #8 ↑9 2 too low 7 Blocksolid 40+ · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #5 2 too high 8 SimplyConf 30+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #7 1 too high 9 AR for WooCommerce – 3D Product Viewer & Augmented Reality — · 5.0★ (2) wp.org #13 ↑1 4 too low 10 QuickCut Booking — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #10 11 Events Calendar by FooEvents 4K+ · 3.0★ (2) wp.org #6 5 too high 12 Dental Education Videos 10+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #11 1 too high 13 Squadeno – Club Sports Manager 40+ · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #15 ↓2 2 too low 14 Events Calendar, Tickets & Registration with QR Check-in — · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #12 2 too high 15 ChairIt – Salon Booking & Appointment Scheduling — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #16 1 too low 16 Steil 3D Configurator — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #17 ↑1 1 too low 17 C Cozy Rental Catalog — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #18 ↑1 1 too low 18 Casa Quick Salon Book — · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #14 ↑1 4 too high 19 WPConfigurator 3D Product Customizer Lite — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #20 ↑1 1 too low 20 SmartUpWorld Clinic Appointments — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #21 ↑1 1 too low 21 TNT — Simple Product Add-Ons — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #22 ↑1 1 too low 22 SteadyDevs Venue Booking — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #23 ↑1 1 too low 23 R Robse Booking — · 0.0★ (0) wp.org #24 1 too low 24 Mirrolo — AI Virtual Try-On, Product Photos & Shopping Assistant for WooCommerce — · 5.0★ (1) wp.org #19 ↑1 5 too high

Merit ranking caps the install boost at 1M (wp.org leaves it uncapped), replaces the raw star average with a volume-weighted Bayesian score and a Wilson lower bound, and keeps wp.org's own freshness and compatibility decays. Method from the plugin-directory source; see Meta Trac #8298. Positions are tracked daily from the first visit to a keyword, so the small arrows show movement since tracking began.